


Brother's Keeper

by OmentheKaizoku



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Apollo Cabin - Freeform, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cuddling & Snuggling, Gen, How Do I Tag, I love minor characters so damn much, I'm Bad At Summaries, Nightmares, Platonic Cuddling, Pre-The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson), Sibling Bonding, protective Lee Fletcher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:01:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26648692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OmentheKaizoku/pseuds/OmentheKaizoku
Summary: Being a light sleeper is a blessing and a curse, especially if you're the one looking after an entire cabin of half-siblings who were prone to nightmares. But Lee was used to that with the younger campers, especially with a young Will Solace.
Relationships: Lee Fletcher & Will Solace
Comments: 14
Kudos: 33





	Brother's Keeper

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve noticed there’s a severe lack of stories with Lee Fletcher in them. Granted, we barely knew him as a character in the first series. So I figured why the hell not, especially since I’m listening to the Battle of The Labyrinth on my laptop! Also... I’m bad at coming up with summaries and titles, please forgive me!
> 
> Since there wasn’t enough about Lee in canon for me to go on, I had to make a judgment call about his character. I’m gonna say that Lee and Will are thirteen and seven respectively, since we were never told how old Lee was in canon or when Will actually came to camp.
> 
> So there’s that, anyways please enjoy~!

Lee grumbled as he lugged yet another heavy box out of the infirmary’s back room. He set the box down on the nearest counter with a satisfying thud. Glancing over his shoulder, Lee sighed at the amount of work that he still had left to do. Sometimes being the head medic for the entire camp really sucked. 

He would much rather be out there spending time with his siblings, or practicing at the archery range. But with today’s recent game of Capture the Flag, the infirmary saw an influx of injured campers. Thankfully most of the injuries were minor, which was good for him because that meant no one would have to stay overnight for observation.

His thoughts drifted back to his siblings. The idea of leaving Michael in charge of their siblings for a couple hours didn’t sit well with him. But there wasn’t much he could do about that at the moment, his hands were tied with overseeing the infirmary.

_Gods help me if he burns the cabin down_ , he thought wearily.

Turning back to the supply box, Lee pulled out a couple rolls of bandages and jars of nectar for the back cabinets. In the past week, Lee had restocked this particularly cabinet more times than he’d like to admit.

_You’d think after so many mishaps on the lava wall, people would learn to be more aware of their surroundings._ He snorted at the thought. 

Grabbing the last roll of bandages in the box, Lee hastily placed it on the shelf and closed the doors. With that done, he moved onto taking inventory. He jotted down a few things they were running low on and left it on his makeshift desk to give to Chiron tomorrow morning.

“I think that about covers the hard parts,” Lee sighed, taking the empty box back into the storage room. He set it down in one of the corners then reached up to brush the sweat forming on his brow. “Paperwork’s all done and I just finished restocking, so that just leaves locking up.”

Grabbing the keys, he stepped out of the storage room and locked the door behind him. Approaching his desk, Lee reached for the top drawer to deposit the keys but stopped short. In the middle of his desk was a carefully wrapped plate of food and a small folded note next to it. How long had that being sitting there? 

Lee picked up the note first and opened it up. 

_‘Lee, we wanted to make sure you got a chance to eat during your shift! Please remember to take a break every once in a while! - Love your siblings!’_

Lee smiled as he read it over again.

“I don’t deserve them sometimes,” Lee mumbled, running a hand through his short golden brown hair. He glanced towards the clock on the far wall, noting that the campfire was probably half over by now.

Lee took a seat at his desk and pulled back the foil. It was a couple sandwiches and an apple, which was the perfect amount of food for him especially since it was bad habit to eat this late into the night. He ate in silence as he watched the clock. He should probably finish locking up and get back to cabin for lights out. 

Throwing away his trash, Lee grabbed another set of keys from the center drawer. He did a quick sweep of the beds and exam rooms before heading for the main door. He flipped the lights off and locked the doors behind him. As he stepped off the porch of the Big House, Lee could see a group of campers being lead back to their cabins.

“Michael should have everybody back at the cabin by now, I hope...” Lee picked up his pace, keeping an eye out for the cleaning harpies. Usually they wouldn’t bother him since he was frequently going to and from the infirmary during all hours of the day.

As he drew closer to Cabin 7, he smiled when he saw Michael leading their siblings up the steps of the porch. Some of his younger siblings turned and smiled at him when he approached.

“About time you showed up, Lee!” Michael smirked, leaning against the doorframe. “We were starting to get worried that you fell asleep at your desk again!”

Lee rolled his eyes at him, and ruffled a few of his younger siblings’ hair affectionately.

“And leave you in charge of our impressionable brothers and sisters, I don’t think so Yew,” Lee laughed, ushering a few stragglers up the steps. As he passed by Michael, the shorter boy playfully punched his arm and closed the door after the last camper came through.

“All right everyone, we’ve all had a long day. It’s about time for all of us to get settled for bed,” Lee called, walking over to his own bunk. He reached under to grab a small lockbox to deposit the infirmary keys.

The entire cabin shuffled around as everybody got ready for bed. Everyone took turns to get changed in the two bathrooms at the back of cabin. Lee went around to each bunk and helped the younger campers get settled into bed. After making a quick headcount, Lee grabbed his own pajamas and quickly went back to get changed.

He came back out in a simple white short-sleeve shirt, and a pair of black sweatpants. Tossing his clothes into the small hamper by his bunk, Lee walked back to the front of the cabin.

“Good night everyone, sleep tight!” he said, reaching over for the light switch.

“You too, Lee.” 

Lee smiled and turned the lights off. He made his way over to his bunk and climbed under the covers. He was out the moment his head had hit the pillow.

(-)

He must have slept for a couple of hours when he was pulled from the peaceful embrace of sleep that Hypnos had enveloped him in. Lee cracked a blurry eye open, and glared at the bunk above his own. He silently cursed at whichever god or goddess who thought it would be funny to torment him in the middle of the night.

Lee was a light sleeper.

He always _hated_ that he was especially when it happened on his busiest days in the infirmary. Lee just wanted to get through one night where he didn’t wake up from the slightest noise. Was that really too much to ask for?

Lee sighed, reaching up to rub his tired eyes.

The cabin was mostly shrouded in darkness, but a few beams of soft moonlight poured in through the windows by the entrance. Lee and a few of his siblings liked to think that it was their Aunt Artemis watching over them through the night. They didn’t know for sure, but the thought was still comforting nevertheless.

As Lee lay there on his bed, he could hear a few of his siblings snoring away in their bunks. One of the loudest snores belonged to Michael, which always amazed Lee. How could someone so small make such a racket?

_Must be nice to stay asleep for the entire night_ , he thought bitterly.

He huffed and turned onto his side to face the wall by his bunk. Lee tried a few tricks he had learned over the years to help him fall back asleep. He took a few slow, deep breaths and held them in for a couple seconds before exhaling. After about five minutes of trying that, Lee switched to counting down backwards from one hundred to clear his head.

_No such luck...._ Lee groaned tiredly. 

He must have repeated this at least _three_ times, and he was still wide-awake. Normally when he tried this method, he would be out like a light when he got to about fifty. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working this time. He didn’t want to risk looking over at the clock by his bed. He was already dreading the annoying wake up call that their father gave them every morning.

_Could you just give it a rest for once in your immortal life, dad?_ Lee rolled his eyes and pulled his blanket up over his head. 

The thick fabric muffled the sounds of his siblings’ snoring. He groaned when Michael let out a particularly loud one from his bunk at the back of the cabin. Lee shut his tired eyes once more and started counting down again in his head. Maybe if this time would do the trick.

_61...60...59...5—_

A small whimper reached his ears from under his blankets.

Lee paused his mental countdown.

Another whimper was heard a few seconds later and the muffled sound of someone shifting around in their bunk followed it. Lee lifted the blanket off of his head and sat up slowly. He listened closely now, trying to figure out which one of his siblings was making that sound.

This wasn’t the first time he had woken up in the middle of the night to one of the younger campers crying in their beds. A lot of the new campers didn’t adjust well with being away from their mortal parents, even if it was just for the summer. Then there were the year-rounder campers who only got to see their parents over video calls. Lee did his best as head counselor to comfort and reassure them that everything was going to be all right.

A muffled sob directly to the right of his own bunk had confirmed his suspicions. It was the newest member of their cabin, Will Solace. 

Lee’s heart went out to his little half brother. Will was only seven years old when he came to camp earlier that spring. The little boy was an absolute wreck when he arrived. The satyr that brought him to camp informed them that Will’s scent was stronger than most children of Apollo, which meant he would have to stay at camp as a year-rounder. 

The first few weeks were still fresh in Lee’s mind. After their father had claimed Will at his first campfire, the poor boy had cried himself to sleep almost every night. Lee and Michael did their best to comfort him, but now Will was trying to hide it so he wouldn’t worry his older brothers.

_I wish you would just let us help you, Will,_ Lee thought, pushing his blankets back and swung his legs over the side of his bed.

Lee stood up and crept quietly over to Will’s bunk. The last thing he wanted to do was scare him. Lee watched the little body underneath the blankets move towards the wall. He took that as his cue to have a seat beside Will on his bunk.

“Hey Will, its Lee... are you okay?” Lee asked softly.

The small boy under the blankets flinched. Lee spotted a small mop of blond hair sticking out of the blankets. The older boy reached over and pulled the blankets back a little until he could see Will’s face. The seven-year-old tried to hide his face from Lee’s concerned gaze. 

“I-I’m f-fine, L-Lee,” Will whispered. 

Lee’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. Will’s startling blue eyes shined with a few unshed tears. His sun-kissed cheeks were damp and red with fresh tear tracks. Lee hated seeing his little brother like this.

“Will, is it okay if I touch you?” he asked softly.

One thing that Lee and Michael had learned early on when comforting Will was asking for his permission first. Sometimes, Will needed a moment to collect himself and it was best to wait for him to come to you instead of rushing him.

Will nodded meekly.

The older boy made sure his touch was slow and gentle when he thumbed away the tears on Will’s cheeks. He smiled when Will leaned into his touch.

“What’s got you so upset, Will?” Lee asked, helping Will into a sitting position.

“I-It’s nothing,” Will mumbled, looking down at his lap.

Lee studied Will’s body language, noting the way Will wrapped his arms around his body. The older boy reached out to brush Will’s damps bangs off his forehead. Will shivered under his touch and looked over at him.

Lee offered him a comforting smile and held his arms out to Will. The younger boy choked out a tiny sob and quickly crawled into Lee’s lap. Will pressed his face into the older boy’s shoulder as Lee wrapped his arms around him. A muffled sob escaped Will’s throat as he gripped the fabric of Lee’s shirt.

“Shh, I’ve got you Will. I won’t let anything hurt you,” Lee soothed softly. 

Lee threaded his fingers through his brother’s blond locks, and rocked him in his arms. They stayed in each other’s embrace for a while. Lee traced comforting circles on Will’s back and pressed a quick kiss to the top of his brother’s head. As he pulled back to look at Will’s face, he smiled when he saw that the tears had mostly stopped.

A pair of innocent eyes looked up at him.

“I’m s-sorry, Lee,” Will mumbled, playing with the hem of Lee’s sleeve.

“Will, you don’t have to apologize for anything.” Lee tucked a stray lock of hair behind of Will’s ear. He gave Will another one of his trademark smiles, which seemed to do the trick as the tension drained from Will’s shoulders. He pulled the younger boy back into his embrace. “Do you wanna sleep in my bunk tonight?”

He felt Will nod against his shoulder.

Lee slowly unwrapped his arms from Will’s shoulders as the younger boy slid off his lap. Will took his hand when he offered it to him. Lee smiled when Will wrapped his small hand around three of his fingers. Will started doing that after he had warmed up to him and Michael. But Lee noticed that Will mostly did this with him when they were alone.

After getting Will settled in his bed, Lee slid in next to him and drew the blanket over them. He opened his arms again and let Will crawl into his embrace. Will reached out to wrap his small arms around Lee’s middle and pressed his face into the older boy’s shoulder. Lee resumed tracing circles on Will’s back and ran his fingers through Will’s flyaway curls.

“...L-Lee, can I tell you s-something?”

“Of course, Will.”

Will gripped the back of Lee’s shirt as if he would disappear if he let go of the fabric. Lee felt Will begin to tremble again.

“I-I had a n-nightmare,” Will mumbled.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Lee asked, pausing his fingers mid circle on Will’s back. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Will. I won’t force you, but sometimes it helps to talk about it.”

Will didn’t say anything for the longest time.

“Will?”

“I-I was back in A-Austin with my mom... and t-there was a m-monster... it got to my mom... s-she didn’t—” Will sobbed into his shoulder. Lee pulled him even closer, letting his hand run up and down his little brother’s back comfortingly. “...I couldn’t d-do anything to p-protect her. T-Then it came for y-you, a-and it.... i-it—”

“Shh, it was just a bad dream,” Lee whispered, rubbing Will’s back comfortingly. “I promise that we’re both okay. Will, I want you to listen closely okay? Breathe with me...can you do that for me?”

Will hiccupped and nodded against Lee’s shoulder. Lee took a few exaggerated breaths to show him what to do. Will moved his hands to grip the front of Lee’s shirt and tried to follow the older boy’s breathing.

“That’s it Will, just like that. Breathe in for four seconds...” Lee ran a hand through Will’s hair. “Good, hold it for seven... now let it out slowly. You’re doing great Will.”

Lee felt Will’s grip on his shirt loosened with each successful breath. He continued to model his breathing for Will until the younger boy was breathing on his own. They laid in silence as Will sniffled into Lee’s shoulder. The older boy rested his chin on top of Will’s head.

“I’m sorry...” Will muttered, shame dipping from his words.

“Don’t apologize,” Lee insisted firmly. “All of us have had those dreams every once in a while. But I want you to know this Will, you’re never alone. I will be here to protect you, so will Michael and the rest of our siblings. Next time you have one of those nightmares, please don’t hesitate to wake me up. Okay?”

“I-I will. ...Thank you Lee,” Will sniffled, moving his arms to wrap around Lee’s neck.

“Isn’t that what big brothers are for?” Lee asked, patting his back reassuringly. “Do you think you’ll be able to go back to sleep?”

Will nodded against his shoulder.

“We can talk some more in the morning, if you want to. But for now, try and get some sleep Will.” Lee said, pressing a kiss to the young boy’s head.

“You too, Lee.” Will snuggled deeper into his brother’s arms.

Both boys closed their eyes, letting the gentle embrace of sleep wash over them once more. The only thing that mattered to Lee was knowing that Will was safe, and letting him know that he was loved. They stayed in each other’s arms even when Michael and the rest of their siblings woke up the next morning.

**Author's Note:**

> I think my only complaint was Rick never gave us any information about Lee as a character. I mean, it would have been nice if he had given us a passage on Lee’s personality and some physical characteristics. I just had to wing it, and I just hope I did you guys proud! 
> 
> I wanna apologize if the ending seemed kinda rushed. This is my first time doing a one-shot fic, so I’m very much out of my depth here! I told myself I gotta branch out and this is just one of the many ideas I’ve been sitting on for the last two years.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading and stay safe out there!


End file.
